


Inches

by PineTrain



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Anxiety, Cutting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-23 06:59:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13184778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PineTrain/pseuds/PineTrain
Summary: Wendy's a bit out of character, but I just latched onto her line about actually being anxious all the time even though she doesn't show it from Society of the Blind Eye





	Inches

**Author's Note:**

> Wendy's a bit out of character, but I just latched onto her line about actually being anxious all the time even though she doesn't show it from Society of the Blind Eye

Steel presses into her skin and a slight indent sinks around the tip of the blade. 

It's a curious thing, the sight of it. She knows there's more to it than just what it looks like, but that's all she really registers properly. There's other sensations, like the cool feel of the metal, the resistance of the handle against her thumb, the twitches of instinctive, terrified anticipation that ring throughout her body, but they all seem so distant. Something about watching it happen is hypnotizing and Wendy feels like she's locked on this one sole aspect of what she's about to do.

Her hand moves and her eyes twitch, but she doesn't react otherwise. The blade drags slow and steady, painful and rough, inching its way down the course she's set. The cut won't be neat, but jagged instead. A quick slice would be more clean since the skin wouldn’t be able to catch and snap awkwardly as friction between metal and flesh waxes and wanes with unpredictable abandon. She'll probably gain a scar this time.

As long as the moment feels, Wendy actually finishes the cut fairly quickly. Seconds can be agonizing as they pass, but they're still just seconds, a pretty important part of her little routine. Can't let the customers catch her etching another inch into her skin. Definitely can't let her boss and friends catch her doing it. She's the cool one, the straightforward one, the one who's not supposed to be stressing out all the time.

Having finished her deed, Wendy hides the knife and whips out a thick band-aid. As she covers her new inch and slides her sleeve down over it, she lets out a chill sigh. The little area burns painfully, but she otherwise feels like ice has flooded her system. Things are cold, calm, and unstressed as the fire of anxiety is restrained by the practical magic of physical pain.

She knows this isn't the healthy way to do things, but it works. Wendy stumbled into it almost not even noticing besides the fact that the pain kept her level, focused. She's stressed all the time, but no one else has to know and she likes it that way. It’s just a matter of making sure not every cut scars and that they all remain hidden.

Dipper comes into the room holding a notepad as he takes inventory. Wendy catches his eye when he attempts to sneakily check her out. She gives him a confident smile and a thumbs up. He looks back at his pad and a small grin grows on his face. 

He admires her so much and he's not good at hiding it. Would he find her as impressive or attractive if he knew what she'd just done? The cut burns harshly at the thought, but the spell of pain keeps Wendy cool. Someday she'll do things differently, but not today, not after seeing that grin on the face of someone who admires her. It's better to keep this secret.


End file.
